LIFE HISTORY OF THE POTATO BEETLE 35 
The bird enemies of the beetle are numerous. Among the 
most important are the ring-necked pheasant recently intro¬ 
duced, the rose-breasted grosbeak, and the quail, which 
feed particularly on potato beetles. The English sparrow, 
cuckoo, and kingbird feed on the weevils. Robins, blackbirds, 
and crows eat the white grubs, the larval stage of the May 
beetles. The woodpeckers destroy great numbers of borers 
by digging holes in the trees where the borers are tunneling. 
21. Potato “ Bug ” or Potato Beetle. — The potato beetle 
arrived in New York State from the West in 1872. Originally 
the beetle was found in 
Colorado feeding on wild 
plants of the potato family, 
whence its name of Colo¬ 
rado beetle. It gradually 
made its way east from 
one potato patch to an¬ 
other, being helped by the 
wild plants of the potato 
family that grew where 
there were no potatoes. 
These beetles were also 
carried by trains that in a 
few hours took them hun¬ 
dreds of miles. 
22. Damage. — The po¬ 
tato beetle eats the foliage 
of the potato plant, thus injuring the size and quality of the 
tubers. This is due to the fact that most of the starch 
stored in the tuber is produced in the leaves and when the 
leaves are destroyed the amount of starch available for the 
tuber is lessened. Spraying must be carried on wherever 
potatoes are grown, to insure a good crop. 
23. Life History of the Potato Beetle. — The adult potato 
beetle passes the winter in the ground. In the spring the 
Figure 19. — Eggs of Ladybug (greatly 
enlarged). 
You will need sharp eyes to find them 
in nature. 
